An Old Friend Returns Home
by spacegrace
Summary: This story is about an old friend of Scralett's who disappered one day when they were childern and then shows up about a month after Rhett left with Bonnie. Oh, let me know if it's long enough.


1**_Now this story has nothing to do with Gone With the Wind the characters are all in it and it takes places shortly before Scarlett falls down the stairs, well it leads up to it anyway, she may not fall down the stairs, I haven't decided yet. I'd also like to tell you that I'll propally use the name Kathleen Mary in all my stories, and the name Margate one is my name and the other was my mother's. She died when I was 11 and she means a lot to me, it's the least that I can do to remember her or keep her memory alive. Oh, I don't own anything GWTW, I thought that I'd add that in there while I'm at it. _**

Scarlett couldn't believe her eyes, she hadn't seen her in ages, she disappeared when they were 13 years old. She had been her best friend growing up, the only girl who keep up with her. She has been better at everything, she did everything without even trying. The only difference between had been that she had been a lady of some sort, at lest she showed a better imation then Scarlett had or does.

Scarlett ran up to the her, "Kathleen! Hello." She couldn't believe her eyes, before her stood a girl no not a girl a woman, a beautiful woman who she could only hope to live up too. You could tell that by just looking at her, you could tell that she was a lady and more of a lady then most.

"Oh, my goodness! Scarlett, I never thought that I'd see you again. How are you? Why don't you join me for lunch? You can show me around, I'm planning on staying here in Atlanta for some time. I'm thinking about buying a house down here."

"Really? I run a limber mill, I can sell you some real cheap and I'm sure that we can find somewhere close to home where we could build, I'm sure my husband wouldn't mind giving you a loan—"

"Scarlett, let's just go talk and see what we've been up to before we make any plans like that." She smiled, that warm smile she had always had. It made Scarlett happy, there was actually a part of Scarlett's past that she wouldn't mind remembering.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy to see you. It's like seeing a ghost from the past, you know."

"A ghost, I hope I don't look a fright!" She smiled and said, "I must not, because you always use to tell such things, I hope that that part of you hasn't changed Scarlett. Your taste in clothes hasn't, I can tell you."

They both laughed and started walking down the street together. Kathleen started to skip down the street, soon after Scarlett followed suit, then Kathleen stated to speed-walk as did Scarlett, before you knew it they were racing down the street until they came to the train station. They both were out of breath.

"Scarlett, I don't think either of us has changed much, how about you?"

"No, I think that I have to agree with you Kat, neither of us as grown up at all. But you always out did me, remember?"

"Yes, I did it without even trying. Now, that we have gotten our exercise for the year, let's go eat."

"I know just the place." Scarlett took her to the hotel they ate and talked of a great many things.

"You really must come and stay with me, until you decide what you want to do. Mammy would just love to see you. I'm sure it'd give her a great surprise." Scarlett's face saddened. "We all thought that you had been murdered. Then your father disappeared, we thought that we had done it with the way he treated you. They searched for your body, but instead they found your father's, he hanged himself. There had been a note, it said 'they took my baby, they took both my babies'. A lot of people will be happy to know that you're alive. You have no idea what it means to me, I have someone from my past whom I loved back in my life."

"I don't know what to say, I always wondered what he did after they took me, but I knew that we would never come after me. He was too lazy for that or that least too afraid that if he did they'd make him watch them kill me, like they did when they killed my mother."

Scarlett sat looking at her, she had no idea what she was talking about but whatever it was she wasn't sure she wanted to know. Whatever her father had gotten into it has cost him his wife and long after his daughter. It had to be awful, Scarlett finally understood why Kathleen had put up with her father, because Scarlett had done the same with her Pa. Both of them had lost the only thing that kept them alive, it was the only thing that kept them together. Truthfully their two wives were the people that really kept the family going, making sure that everyone behaved and did as they were told. Without them they had no real will to live. Scarlett had to wonder if Kathleen had to do what Scarlett did after her flight from Sherman, if she had to lead and procate those around her. But she knew that she never really did that, she pushed her family to the point of where they hated her. She regrets that now, well, a little anyway.

"I'm sorry to hear about your Mother and Pa. I know how close you were to them, your Pa espuislly, I'm sorry that I wasn't there to help in your time of need. But promise me this, in the time that I'm here you'll give yourself sometime to morn their deaths because I know that you didn't have time for that when they did die."

"You're right, I never had, maybe I will. If you'll stay here for awhile."

I would but I don't want to leave my daughter for long. She's staying with her grandmother and I fear that she's going to drive her up the wall in no time. She's just like you and I were when we were little." Kathleen said with a big smile.

"Why don't you bring her down here then, I have two daughters that she can play with and a son. I'm sure they would love her." It took Scarlett most of the afternoon to talk her into it. She didn't want to be a briden to anyone. When Scarlett finally convinced her to stay and fetch her daughter, she brought her home to see Mammy.

"Mammy, I have a surprise for you, you'll think you've seen a ghost."

"Ah don believe that mis Scarlett. How you thinkin you could scar old mammy. Oh dear good lord." Mammy cried when she saw Kathleen standing in the door way, "Ah's thought yous was dead chille like whlo lot of other people too. What's you doin scarin an old women like me's for anyways?" Mammy gave her a big hug and wouldn't let her go until she knew she was really there.

"Nows yous listen to mis Scarlett and stays here. Yous understand thats now that we fond uh we're not letin you go."

"Yes, Mammy. That's what I was afraid of. But it's all right, I'm glad that I still have a home in your heart and that you haven't forgotten me. If it's all right, I'd like to go get my daughter now. Scarlett, I'd be happy if you'd join me."

"Mammy you'll be alright with the children for a few days, right?"

"Yes, mis Scarlett, Ah'll be fine. Just you make sure she come back now."

They left early the next morning so that they could be back as soon as possible. Scarlett wanted to home when Rhett returned from wherever he had went. Scarlett didn't know when he'd be back but she wanted to be there when he was. She also wanted everyone to meet Kathleen and then she wanted to take her to Tara so she could show Suellen that she was once again wrong and she was sure that Ashley would want to know that she was alive. Then she would have to meet Melly, they were so much alike in so many ways it wasn't funny, the only difference was that Scarlett loved and cared for Kathleen. Rhett would also have to meet her, then he could see that she had some taste in people. That she wasn't all bad at picking her friends.

"Kathleen, you never did tell me your daughter's name, what is it?"

"Margate Sandy Golighly, I married a Scottish-Irishmen that I meet when I was sixteen. He died not long, but I never could let myself wear black, it does nothing for my eyes." Scarlett laughed because she had felt the same way, she hated black it made people look so old. "No, but seriously, he told me on his death bed that he didn't want to look down form heaven and see me morning, and wearing black was a sign of morning. His mother was there when he said it so she made sure that no one ever said anything to me."

That hit Scarlett hard because she had stopped wearing it because she couldn't stand wearing the color not because her husband had asked her not too. "Would you have worn it if he hadn't told you not too."

"No, I wouldn't have worn it, it was good that he said it. But he loved me in bright colors, colors that made me look alive. So, I do just that, not just for him but for me too."

When they arrived at her mother-in-laws house Scarlett was shocked to see how much the child looked like Kathleen, it was like looking at twins. Only that Margate was Bonnie's age, she looked to have the same sprit as Bonnie as well.

"Well, my pet, are you ready to go and meet your new playmates?"

"Mommy, will there be boys there?"

"Yes, there will be two boys just a few years older then you to beat up, but you must not be to hard on them to you hear?"

The little girl smiled at her mother and said, "Oh yes mother, I'll behave very well. Are we bringing my pony?"

"No honey, but Mother will buy you another pony once we have a house to live in. So, you'll just have to share the pony that belongs to Mrs. Butler's daughter Bonnie."

"How old is Bonnie?"

"I didn't tell Mrs. Butler but you and Bonnie have the same birthday."

"They do? Well, we're just going to have a double birthday party now, won't we?"

"Scarlett, I knew that you were going to say that. And yes, it'll be a great idea, two best friends celebrating their daughters' birthdays on the same day."

"Now there's something else that you didn't tell me. When did your husband die?"

"Almost two months ago."

Scarlett didn't know what to think it was almost two months that Rhett had left, they seemed to have much more in common then they cared to think. It was scary that two people could live almost the same lives and be so much alike.

On the way back to Atlanta Scarlett started to think about different things, things that she had not let herself think about because she had not had time to do so when they had happened. She really never thought about why she really had married Rhett, she had never thought about his money when he was kissing her in the library, all she was thinking about is how much she would love to be kissed like that every day. Somehow she had forgotten that feeling, at least until that night when Rhett had carried her up the stairs. Scarlett started to think that maybe she had loved Rhett all along and that if it wasn't for Ashley she would have seen it all along. She also thought about the times when before they were married and she felt the force of his prence in a room long before she saw him. She started to wonder if these things were true signs of love. Maybe she should forget about Ashley all together and tell no ask Rhett to take her away and maybe they could be happy together. Maybe Rhett could find someone for Kathleen to be with so that they could go away together. With these thoughts Scarlett feel asleep with her head against Kathleen's shoulder and Kathleen's head against the window.


End file.
